Forest River SALEM CRUISE LITE 19DBXL reviews

Overall I am satisfied with this unit. It was very affordable. My wife and I have taken the trailer to only 3 states in the past 12 months due to COVID 19 and have encountered a few issues. Last week the heater stopped working due to improper sawdust cleanup during construction. Also the kitchen faucet was improperly installed as was one of the cabinet drawers. The outside small refrigerator was not securely mounted. Forest River really needs to work on their quality control checks. All of the issues could have been prevented. All said, this is a perfect unit for our needs and I would buy another without hesitation. Show less

I have had this unit for a little of a year and camped throughout Texas, Alabama and Florida. If you are looking to buy a camper no matter what brand make sure you or someone you know is a DIYer and handy with tools. You are going to put that to use. There is always going to be minor issues with the unit and if you don't want it setting at the dealer ship waiting to get fixed you will have to do it yourself. Everything in a camper is pretty basic and I'm sure someone has a video on how to fix it on youtube. I'm fairly sure that's what the manufacture wants, for you to fix it instead of using the warranty. Thats why it takes so long for warranty work. Now with that said, all the issues thus far been minor. The biggest issue was the frig breaking base it was setting on and falling out of cabinet. The frig was full food/drinks for a week trip. I was able to temporarily fix on roan and repaired it back a home. Any one with the 12v/120v frig will need to add supports to the base that it sets on. It is held up with about 100 staples. This is an issue that Forest River should address. If you have older kids 10 and up do not get the outdoor kitchen option. It raises the beds and you will lose head room in the bunks. Instead just a small blackstone griddle. It would be nice if Forest River would have put a LP connection on the trailer frame. It just so happens there is a LP pipe right there just need to put a tee in and a LP quick connect. I didn't get the outdoor kitchen and used the wasted space under the bottom bunk for storage. I cut in a cabinet door on the inside to use that space.(the new 2020 model have access there now) I also added a cargo door where the outdoor kitchen would be.(30" x 14" door) It would be nice if Forest River would put a cargo door there for storage if you don't get the outdoor kitchen option. Also for us the bathroom sink is not worth it. We have a sink 3 feet away so I removed the sink and built a 4 shelf cabinet instead. Perhaps this could be a factory option?? I also removed the cabinet door pulls on doors to the table storage. Its an ankle hazard. I also upgraded the short queen to memory foam mattress.(found on amazon) This unit tows very easy with a 1/2 ton 5.4 truck. Realistically this unit sleeps 5 people 10 years old and up. Overall happy with purchase. However it could be better with a few things addressed and stop using wood studs and make all models with aluminium tubing. Show less

I purchased this unit in January 2019 and have traveled throughout Texas, as well as to Florida. Easy towing with 1/2 ton truck. Like all(no matter what brand) travel trailers there are always minor QC issues. My trailer had several minor issues.(ex. corner trim in wardrobe on side of bed was falling out, some of the trim and paneling on seat was cut short etc.) These are all minor issues. I was able to lower the price and I could live with the issues. With that said, if you are going to purchase an entry level travel trailer or any trailer for that matter, you or someone you know should be handy with tools, you are going to have issues. Unless you want your trailer in shop most of the time, you better be an DYIer. Our first week long trip we had a somewhat major issue. The frig full of food/drinks fell out and broke half of the base it was setting on. I was able to push back in hole and put some swimming noodles on one side to hold in place. Fortunately this worked for the rest of the trip and I repaired it after the trip. The water heater was also not working normally. I found that the wiring in the switch panel was loose. Redid the joints and working normally. If you have the 120v/12v frig you will need to redo/beef-up the base the frig sets on. The factory base is installed with about 100 staples in the paneling and no supports going to floor. The only complaint I really have so far is the short queen mattress(upgraded to memory foam, found on amazon) storage, bathroom is small for Texas sized people and the bathroom sink out side the bathroom. This trailer has the "double bunks" and under the bottom bunk is a lot of wasted space and the water heater. I did not get the outdoor kitchen and would not recommend getting one. If you get the kitchen it raises your bunks and the frig door will not open all the way easily. Your best bet is to not get the outdoor kitchen option and buy a blackstone griddle instead. Now that the warranty is up, I have reworked some the issues. I removed the bathroom sink and built cabinet with 4 shelves, cut in door under bunk inside(20" x 3' space) and installed luggage door on outside under bunk where outdoor kitchen would be.(4' x 2' space) These upgrades work very well for us. As far as Factory Warranty / Support not sure never had to use it. Show less

Bought this TT 03/19. 06/12/2019 climbed a ladder to get measurements and found numerous bubbles on the roof (>70). I photographed and sent to Demontrond RV in Houston Texas. 10 days later Demontrond RV stated they sent my pictures to Forest River Salem Warranty division. Salem says all of these bubbles are just cosmetic. I pay this much for something I feel that the roof glue should not be coming off. These bubbles are every where not just on a seam. I did have to repair the water leak under the sink, I had to tie up the cable crossing underneath the camper because it was 2 inches off of the ground. I had to repair the plastic pieces inside the trailer that were improperly installed. This was my first travel trailer and definitely my last if it cannot last more than 3 months without falling apart. I have driven the trailer 326 miles total. I have stayed in it 3 days total. Show less